LOWER LAKE — Andrea Mahling’s arrival on the Lower Lake High School soccer scene last season was nothing short of a renaissance for the Lady Trojans.

Just a year after Lower Lake went 0-14-1 under a different coach, one of Lake County’s least successful sports teams not only reached the North Coast Section Division 1 playoffs via the at-large route, but upset St. Helena 1-0 in a first-round game before bowing out with a 7-2 loss to Fortuna in the quarterfinals.

Under Mahling, the Trojans finished 6-7-1 in the North Central League I standings where they had been the league’s doormat for years. They finished 8-8-1 overall to qualify for the postseason.

Seniors Jennie Orozco and Fabiola Santana, both named to the All-League team, helped Mahling with the amazing Lower Lake turnaround. A third player, Michaela Stone, who returns this season, also earned All-League honors.

New Lower Lake High School boys soccer head coach Paul Krohn huddles with a handful of his players on Wednesday.

The question as to whether Lower Lake can duplicate its 2018 magic will start being answered next week when the Trojans participate in the second annual Tyler Duncan Memorial Tournament at Upper High School. Action opens Thursday when the Lady Trojans play 11-time defending NCL I champion Middletown in a pool play game at 3 p.m. They return on Friday to play St. Bernard (Eureka) at 3 p.m.

Lower Lake’s first home match is Sept. 5 against Fortuna at 5:30 p.m.

Boys

Lower Lake’s boys squad, which like the girls went 6-7-1 in league play a year ago, opens a new season with a new coach, Paul Krohn.

Angelo Pelcastre knees the ball during a team practice on Wednesday.

Like the school’s girls team, the Lower Lake boys make their 2019 debut next week at the Tyler Duncan Memorial Tournament in Upper Lake, a three-day competition that opens Thursday. The Trojans play Kelseyville at 4:30 p.m. In the second round of pool play on Friday, Aug. 23, Lower Lake takes on Middletown at 4:30 p.m.

Lower Lake’s first home match is its league opener Sept.17 against Willits at 5:45 p.m.